I find the process of political campaigning very frustrating. Political ads that are simplistic and I know are making false claims have always been an issue that sets me off. If you ou can’t claim that cigarettes are good for you in an ad, why can you make a false claim in a political ad.
I recently encountered an explanation that addressed this topic directly and is worth reviewing. Yes, lying in political ads is allowed and protected. It is important to understand this so you are not confused and don’t reach false conclusions about the ads you watch on television.
I recently watched an interview with an ad expert who was asked about the effectiveness of political ads and what type of ads are most successful. He was also asked about Republican vs. Democratic messaging. He proposed that Democrats don’t understand what works and that they keep trying to explain things. He suggested that productive ads make simple claims and are repeated many times. I could see myself in this analysis. I just don’t believe a lot of issues – e.g., the economy – are simple and careful analysis and evidence offer explanations requiring a different conclusion than what is often claimed in a simple way. I know these people’s eyes may start to glaze over when I try to explain, but I can’t help it. If you want to actually understand, you sometimes have to go a little deeper and invest a little effort in understanding.
So, this is likely to be my last political post before the election. I want to address what seems to be the top political issue as I understand the polls. Despite significant issues such as climate change, inequity, and the right of women to choose, the number one issue seems to be the economy and whether Democratic leaders are responsible for inflation. My mind generates the image of the sticker of Biden pointing at the total for your gas purchase Republicans have added to gas pumps when this claim is made.
There are many facts I think argue that Democrats and especially Democratic leaders are not responsible for high costs and inflation. First, this is a world-wide challenge and it just makes no sense that Pelosi and Biden control world-wide economic issues. Second, alternative explanations seem obvious. Energy problems have been created because of the war in Ukraine and OPEC. I suppose Biden could stop supporting Ukraine, but is this what the American people actually want? We also know that companies providing goods and services are generating record profits suggesting that cost increases to consumers are not totally a function of political decisions.
Have the Democrats done nothing in response to economic challenges? Facts should indicate that multiple steps have been taken sometimes exclusively based on the votes of Democrats and sometimes despite active efforts of the Republicans to block. The effort of President Biden to reduce college student debt makes an obvious example of this second situation. Biden is trying to reduce student loan debt by $10,000 ($20,000 in some situations) and it is being blocked in court by Republications.
The only major economic move I remember from the Trump years was the reduction of more than a trillion dollars in the tax expectation from big companies. The argument was that this would stimulate infrastructure investments and salary increases from these companies. This is not what the companies emphasized and stock buybacks were a common use for the money. Yes, this drove up the value of stocks and those of us with significant holdings in the market benefitted. However, this is an example of the rich getting richer.
Specific efforts by Democrats to address the economy:
Chips bill – effort to bring industries generating computer components back to the U.S.
Inflation Reduction Act – title of the bill makes the focus obvious. Use this link to see who voted for and who was against.
Infrastructure bill – a jobs bill
One final observation. How people understand the economy varies. Yes, we are paying more for gas and eggs. This is obvious. However, consider that the employment rate shows unemployment is the lowest it has been since the ’60s. If you have been unable to find work, this would seem to be a good thing. One of those complexities people don’t want to consider is at play here. When more people work, there is more money to spend which increases inflation. This is what the Fed is trying to address by raising interest rates which make homes and any purchase made with borrowed money more expensive. When interest rates go up inflation goes down, but when money is more expensive to borrow, spending and employment decrease. Who will politicians blame then? Throw in evidence that the increase in jobs is mainly low paying jobs and objections to raising the minimum wage is not a cause many politicians will support and you have an even more complete picture of the economic situation. Turn this into a fifteen second television ad.